CHENNAI, JUNE 21 :  The sale of liquor through the state government-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has crossed the Rs 45,000 crore mark in 2023-24, registering
an increase of nearly Rs 1,730 crores over next year.

Moving the demand for grants for his department in the State Legislative Assembly, Housing and Urban Development Minister S.Muthusamy, who holds the additional portfolio of Prohibition and

Excise department, said the sales, which stood at Rs 44,121.13 crore in 2022-23 increased to Rs 45,855.67 crore in 2023-24.

The revenue earned from liquor sales has been increasing every year. From Rs 33,133.24 crore in 2019-20, it marginally increased to Rs 33,811.15 crores in 2020-21 and it went up by more than Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 36,050.65 crore in 2021-22.

The increase in revenue was also due to the recent price hike announced by the state government.
Percentage wise the sales margin might be slightly higher when compared to previous years, as the sale of liquor through 4,829 Liquor Retail Vending Shops was one of the major revenue earners for the state government for funding its various welfare schemes.

Mr Muthusamy said the sale for the fiscal 2023-24 was Rs 45,855.67 crore. After the upward revision in prices, on an average, the daily sales was in the range of about Rs 100 crore and it would cross the Rs 110 crore mark during weekends and festival seasons like, New Year, Pongal and Deepavali.

Ever since the TASMAC has been granted the exclusive privilege of Retail Vending of Indian Made Foreign Spirits under Section 17-C(1-B )(a) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937 (Tamil Nadu Act X of 1937), from November 29, 2003 by the then AIADMK government headed by Ms J Jayalaltihaa, there has been a significant increase in liquor sales in the state with every passing

year, amid various political parties demanding implementation of total prohibition in the state, especially at the time of elections.

Even today, during a Special Calling Attention Motion in the State Assembly on the Kallakurichi liquor tragedy issue that has claimed 47 lives, the PMK party demanded implementation of total prohibition as promised by the rulingDMK in its poll manifesto.

From Rs 3,639.93 crore in 2003-2004, the sales crossed the Rs 5,000 crore mark in 2005-06 to Rs 6,030.77 crore and went past the Rs 10,000 crore mark in 2008-09 to Rs 10,601.50 crore.

In the last ten years, the sales went up from close to Rs 15,000 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 21,680.67 crore in 2012-13, breached the Rs 25,000 crore barrier in 2015-16 at Rs 25,845.58 crore.

In the six years from 2016-17 to 2021-22, the revenue earned through liquor sales stood at Rs 26,995.25 crore, Rs 26,797.96 crore, Rs 31,157.83 crore, Rs 33,133.24

crore, Rs 33,811.15 crore and Rs 36,050.65 crore in 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.

It touched the Rs 44,000 mark in 2022-23 before crossing the Rs 45,000 crore mark in the just concluded 2023-24 fiscal.(UNI)